On September 22nd, Ghostly Activities drove a Tesla through Old Tacoma Cemetery to see if it could detect ghosts. Get the scoop after the jump.

Running A Series Of Ghost Detecting Tests

The Location

Tacoma Cemetery, established in 1874, is one of the oldest burial grounds in Tacoma, Washington, and reflects the city’s rich history. Located on the east side of the city, it served as the final resting place for many of Tacoma’s pioneers, including prominent figures such as city founders, military veterans, and influential families from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The cemetery’s sprawling landscape is known for its mature trees, historic gravestones, and peaceful atmosphere, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who helped shape Tacoma.

The Car

The Tesla Model Y claims to be an electric SUV, but it’s really the size of a compact car. You can choose between all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. It can go up to 330 miles on one charge. Inside, it has a simple, modern look with a big touchscreen for controls and entertainment. Five people would be comfortable sitting inside. It also comes with Autopilot and lots of safety features.

The Tesla Model Y doesn’t use traditional ultrasonic sensors anymore. Instead, it relies on Tesla Vision, which is a camera-based system to detect objects around the car. With multiple cameras placed around the vehicle (I counted 3 cameras on each side), Tesla Vision uses advanced software to process what those cameras see, identifying people, cars, bikes, and other obstacles. The system works by analyzing images in real time, creating a 3D map of the surroundings. So, when you’re parking or driving in tight spaces, Tesla Vision can accurately spot things like pedestrians and other hazards, helping you navigate safely without needing ultrasonic sensors. It’s all part of Tesla’s push to make their cars smarter and more intuitive.

As you see in the video, it can mistakes with its imaging. For example, Tesla Vision thought a jogging stroller was a motorcycle.

The Tests

For our tests, we wanted to see how well the Tesla Model Y could identify people, how far away it can track human-like objects, and determine its default identification for ‘weird’ environmental factors (like a potential ghost).

If you watch the video, you’ll see our tests (well, more like observations) of the imaging system.

At the end of our day in Tacoma Cemetery, we found a nice, shady area to do some ghost hunting. We used the following gear:

• Spirit box
• Spirit candle
• SLS Kinect
• IR camera

The Results

For the Model Y, we found it could identify people standing about 25 feet from either side of the car. It could measure as far as 200 feet to the front and back (as seen with the jobber with stroller). However, things got awfully weird when a human-sized object stood next to the doors. The imaging system would create multiple versions of people, and sometimes, it mapped me as a motorcycle.

In other cases, the system seemed to have a delay, and we would see versions of our test subject walking behind them. Tesla Vision also created tiny horses for birds.

Anyway, it seems like the imaging system uses humans as a default when it can’t identify an object. We found that to be the case for a group of balloons tied to a gravestone. In another instance, it thought a small tree was a person.

So … we don’t think Teslas can identify ghosts, but there was that crazy night at Riverton Crest Cemetery in Tukwila, Washington.

As for our ghost hunt, we didn’t capture anything. The Old Tacoma Cemetery really is a peaceful place of rest for the departed.

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Note: The Tesla used in this article is a rental, offered to the driver, Amy Beal, while her car is in the shop. Tesla did not provide it for the ghost hunting test. It was randomly offered by the rental service, so … What the hell?! We went ghost hunting with it.

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Sources

“Tacoma Cemetery.” City of Tacoma, https://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=30591. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.

“Tesla Model Y.” Tesla, Inc., https://www.tesla.com/modely. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.

“Transitioning to Tesla Vision.” Tesla, Inc., https://www.tesla.com/support/transitioning-tesla-vision. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.